UNESCO is the lead UN Agency for promoting freedom of expression and safety of journalists as part of its mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.
Understanding Journalist Safety in Bulgaria
Bulgarian journalists are in a dire situation regarding their safety as the Worlds of Journalism Study Global Index on Journalists’ Safety shows. A closer look at the data shows that the physical safety index is negatively impacted by the killing of Victoria Marinova in 2018, which while included in UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists, was later found by the court not to be linked to her work as a journalist. Bulgaria also has one of the highest percentage of journalists worldwide who have experienced demeaning or hateful speech (over half of journalists in the country) and legal actions taken against them in the last five years (nearly a third of journalists). The low digital score is explained by the fact that Bulgaria is the second lowest quartile worldwide for hacking/blocking attacks with more than a third of journalists reporting they have experienced such attacks. Finally, while its financial ranking places the country more towards the middle of the ranking scale, the results show a highly precarious job environment with the lowest score being for income where Bulgaria is among the lowest 15 countries.
As a whole, these results are a reflection of the unenviable degradation of Bulgarian journalism in the past two decades as it has been systematically undermined by a combination of political and economic pressures. Democratic backsliding has been found to relate to a degradation of the quality of media, and also the lack of effective union protection or means to contest the rightful place of journalism in Bulgaria's society. The need to juggle several jobs at once, including engaging in conflict-of-interest practices has made journalists vulnerable and pliable to outside influences, eroding their hard-earned independence of the 1990s. In turn, this made them much less secure.
Safety Dimensions
This radar chart displays how the country performs across all four safety dimensions, revealing areas of strength and concern.
Gender Safety Gap
This comparison highlights differences in safety experiences between male and female journalists, revealing potential gender-based disparities.
Physical Safety
The physical dimension carries 50% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Journalist Killings (35% weight in physical dimension)
This figure represents the total number of journalist killings in Bulgaria between 2016 and 2024.
Data sourced from UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists.
Note: This indicator carries 35% of the weight within the physical dimension of the Safety Index, making it the most significant factor in this category.
Responses to: "I am concerned about my physical wellbeing" (20% weight in physical dimension)
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Arrests, detentions or imprisonment (15% weight in physical dimension)
Sexual assault or sexual harassment (15% weight in physical dimension)
Other physical attacks (15% weight in physical dimension)
Abductions (did not contribute to calculation)
Office raids or seizures or damage of equipment (did not contribute to calculation)
Being required to work in an environment where COVID-19 had easily spread (did not contribute to calculation)
Psychological Safety
The psychological dimension carries 25% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "I am concerned about my emotional wellbeing" (20% weight in psychological dimension)
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Demeaning or hateful speech directed at you (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Public discrediting of your work (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Legal actions against you because of your work (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Stalking (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Other threats or intimidation directed at you (16% weight in psychological dimension)
Coercion (did not contribute to calculation)
Questioning of your personal morality (did not contribute to calculation)
Workplace bullying (did not contribute to calculation)
Intimidation that targets your family or close associates (did not contribute to calculation)
Digital Safety
The digital dimension carries 12.5% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "In the last five years, how often have you experienced any of the following actions related to your work as a journalist?"
Surveillance (50% weight in digital dimension)
Hacking or blocking of social media accounts or websites (50% weight in digital dimension)
Others using your byline for fabricated or manipulated stories (did not contribute to calculation)
Others disseminating your personal information (did not contribute to calculation)
Financial Safety
The financial dimension carries 12.5% weight in the safety index. Read the methodology in full.
Responses to: "I am worried about losing my job in journalism within the next 12 months" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "Which of the following categories best describes your current working situation as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to "Approximately what percentage of your overall work-related income comes from your work as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "How many hours a week on average do you work as a journalist?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Responses to: "In which of the following categories does your salary as a journalist fall?" (20% weight in financial dimension)
Demographics
This section contains demographic information about survey respondents from Bulgaria.
Coming soon
Demographic information about survey respondents will be available in a future update.